"All stewardesses were photographed, measured and weighed by the airline in June last year, supposedly to have new uniforms ordered," Evgeniya Magurina said, according to the British newspaper.

"When my boss looked at my photo, he said: 'Zhenya, you know, your cheeks are too big for international flights. And you have big breasts, so you should be wearing a sports bra. This is the way they explained to me the new rules.

"Everyone older than 40 or with clothing size larger than small or medium was taken off international flights."

The airline denied the accusations in a Moscow court this week after publishing a statement earlier this year.

"Aeroflot strictly adheres to the provisions of the Russian legislation, as well as, in accordance with the best international practices, the principles of 'equal opportunities employer'," it said.